... Salvation 101

HEAVEN?

If you were to die, would you go to heaven?

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

... God loves you and wants you to live with Him in heaven?

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes
in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

The Message (MSG)

"This is how much God loved the world: He gave
his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be
destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.

New King James
Version (NKJV)

For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life.

1 John 5:11

New International
Version (NIV)

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal
life, and this life is in his Son.

The Message (MSG)

This is the testimony in essence: God gave us
eternal life; the life is in his Son.

New King James
Version (NKJV)

And this is the testimony: that God has given us
eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

... The Bible teaches us that we are all sinners? Have you ever
said, done or thought anything wrong?

Romans
3:10

New International
Version (NIV)

As it is written:
"There is no one righteous, not even one;

The Message (MSG)

There's nobody living
right, not even one,

New King James
Version (NKJV)

As it is written:

There is none righteous, no, not
one;

Romans 3:23

New International
Version (NIV)

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God,

The Message (MSG)

Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as
sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living
the glorious lives God wills for us,

New King James
Version (NKJV)

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God,

Galatians 3:22

New International
Version (NIV)

But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a
prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in
Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

The Message (MSG)

If such is the case, is the law, then, an
anti-promise, a negation of God's will for us? Not at all. Its purpose was to
make obvious to everyone that we are, in ourselves, out of right relationship
with God, and therefore to show us the futility of devising some religious
system for getting by our own efforts what we can only get by waiting in
faith for God to complete his promise. For if any kind of rule-keeping had
power to create life in us, we would certainly have gotten it by this time.

New King James
Version (NKJV)

But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that
the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

... Rejecting God's plan of eternal salvation will keep you out of
heaven?

Romans 6:23

New International
Version (NIV)

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God
is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Message (MSG)

Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension
is death. But God's gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our
Master.

New King James
Version (NKJV)

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift
of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

James 1:15

New International
Version (NIV)

Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to
sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

The Message (MSG)

Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows
up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.

New King James
Version (NKJV)

Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to
sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

John 5:40

New International
Version (NIV)

yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

The Message (MSG)

And here I am, standing right before you, and you
aren't willing to receive from me the life you say you want.

New King James
Version (NKJV)

But you are not willing to come to Me that you may
have life.

John 3:18

New International
Version (NIV)

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but
whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed
in the name of God's one and only Son.

The Message (MSG)

Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who
refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without
knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the
one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

New King James
Version (NKJV)

"He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he
who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the
name of the only begotten Son of God.

... Being honest, truthful, kind, compassionate, loving, generous,
unselfish, trying to keep the Ten Commandments and even going to church will not
get you into heaven?

Proverbs
14:12

New International
Version (NIV)

There is a way that
seems right to a man,
but in the end it leads to death.

The Message (MSG)

There's a way of life that looks harmless enough;
look again--it leads
straight to hell.

New King James
Version (NKJV)

There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.

Isaiah
64:6

New International
Version (NIV)

All of us have become
like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like
filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us
away.

The Message (MSG)

We're all sin-infected, sin-contaminated.
Our best efforts are
grease-stained rags.
We dry up like autumn
leaves —
sin-dried, we're blown
off by the wind.

New King James
Version (NKJV)

But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are
like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.

James
2:10

New International
Version (NIV)

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is
guilty of breaking all of it.

The Message (MSG)

You can't pick and choose in these things, specializing in keeping
one or two things in God's law and ignoring others.

New King James
Version (NKJV)

For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point,
he is guilty of all.

... You, like everyone else, will all have to face a judgment day?

Hebrews
9:27

New International
Version (NIV)

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

The Message (MSG)

Everyone has to die once, then face the consequences.

New King James
Version (NKJV)

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the
judgment,

Revelation
20:12

New International
Version (NIV)

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and
books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The
dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

The Message (MSG)

And then I saw all the dead, great and small, standing there--before
the Throne! And books were opened. Then another book was opened: the Book of
Life. The dead were judged by what was written in the books, by the way they
had lived.

New King James
Version (NKJV)

And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books
were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.
And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were
written in the books.

... God loves you and has made a way to heaven through His Son the
Lord Jesus Christ?

Romans 5:8

New International
Version (NIV)

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The Message (MSG)

But God put his love on the line for us by offering
his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.

New King James
Version (NKJV)

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in
that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Ephesians 2:8-9

New International
Version (NIV)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through
faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by
works, so that no one can boast.

The Message (MSG)

Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do
is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! 9We
don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that
we'd done the whole thing!

New King James
Version (NKJV)

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and
that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of
works, lest anyone should boast.

Acts 4:12

New International
Version (NIV)

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no
other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

The Message (MSG)

Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been
or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one."

New King James
Version (NKJV)

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is
no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’

Romans 6:23

New International
Version (NIV)

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God
is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Message (MSG)

Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension
is death. But God's gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our
Master.

New King James
Version (NKJV)

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift
of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

... You can go to heaven, no matter how bad your sin is?

Matthew
9:13

New International
Version (NIV)

But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’
For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

The Message (MSG)

Go figure out what this Scripture means: "I'm after mercy, not
religion.´ I'm here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders."

New King James
Version (NKJV)

But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not
sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous,
but sinners, to repentance.’

Luke
19:10

New International
Version (NIV)

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

The Message (MSG)

For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost."

New King James
Version (NKJV)

for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was
lost."

... What does God want you to do?

John 1:12

New International
Version (NIV)

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed
in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

The Message (MSG)

But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he
claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves.

New King James
Version (NKJV)

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the
right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

Acts 16:31

New International
Version (NIV)

They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household."

The Message (MSG)

They said, "Put your entire trust in the Master
Jesus. Then you'll live as you were meant to live--and everyone in your house
included!"

New King James
Version (NKJV)

So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and you will be saved, you and your household."

Romans 10:13

New International
Version (NIV)

for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the
Lord will be saved."

The Message (MSG)

"Everyone who calls, "Help, God!' gets
help."

New King James
Version (NKJV)

For "whoever callson the name of the
LORD shall be saved."

... How can you believe?

Romans
10:9-10

New International
Version (NIV)

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is
Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you
will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and
are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

The Message (MSG)

Say the welcoming word to God--"Jesus is my
Master"--embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did
in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing"
anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you.
That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting
things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set
everything right between him and me!"

New King James
Version (NKJV)

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus
and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be
saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and
with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

... What can you do to show that you believe?

You can sincerely pray this prayer and tell God that you believe and accept His Son as
your Savior: "Dear Lord God, I know that I
am a sinner. Please forgive me for my sins. I believe that your Son the Lord
Jesus Christ died to pay for my sins. I trust Him now as my personal Savior and
Lord. I ask Him to come into my life. Amen."

... How can you know that you are going to heaven?

If you
have truly accepted the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior, you can be assured
that you are going to heaven.

John
14:1-3

New International
Version (NIV)

"Do
not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In
my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I
am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you
also may be where I am.

The Message (MSG)

"Don't
let this throw you. You trust God, don't you? Trust me. There is
plenty of room for you in my Father's home. If that weren't so, would I have
told you that I'm on my way to get a room ready for you? And if
I'm on my way to get your room ready, I'll come back and get you so you can
live where I live.

New King James
Version (NKJV)

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I
would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I
go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself;
that where I am, there you may be also.

John
5:24

New International
Version (NIV)

"I
tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has
eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to
life.

The Message (MSG)

"It's urgent that you listen carefully to this:
Anyone here who believes what I am saying right now and aligns himself with
the Father, who has in fact put me in charge, has at this very moment the
real, lasting life and is no longer condemned to be an outsider. This person
has taken a giant step from the world of the dead to the world of the living.

New King James
Version (NKJV)

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and
believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into
judgment, but has passed from death into life.

... Have you made the right decision?

John
3:36

New International
Version (NIV)

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but
whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on
him."

The Message (MSG)

That is why whoever accepts and trusts the Son gets
in on everything, life complete and forever! And that is also why the person
who avoids and distrusts the Son is in the dark and doesn't see life. All he
experiences of God is darkness, and an angry darkness at that."

New King James
Version (NKJV)

He who believes in the Son has everlasting life;
and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God
abides on him."

1
John 5:13

New International
Version (NIV)

I
write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that
you may know that you have eternal life.

The Message (MSG)

My
purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God's Son will
know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and
not the illusion.

New King James
Version (NKJV)

These things I have written to you who believe in
the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe
in the name of the Son of God.

... You can always be assured of His help!

Hebrews
13:5

New International
Version (NIV)

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be
content with what you have, because God has said,
"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you."

The Message (MSG)

Don't be obsessed with getting more material things.
Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, "I'll never let you
down, never walk off and leave you,"

New King James
Version (NKJV)

Let your conduct be without
covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself
has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Matthew
28:20

New International
Version (NIV)

and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the
age."

The Message (MSG)

Then instruct them in the practice of all I have
commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day,
right up to the end of the age."

New King James
Version (NKJV)

teaching them to observe all things that I have
commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the
age." Amen.